Balance chamber for deep sea coring



Dec. 28, 1965 o. BARTON BALANCE CHAMBER FOR DEEP SEA CORING V. mm .m N,R E O V T 3 B xT 2 m a m M m 3 m u M d .m m

FIG. I

United States Patent 3,225,602 BALANCE CHAMBER FGR DEEP SEA CORING OtisBarton, Pacific Tugboat & Salvage C0., Pier D, Long Beach, Calif. FiledOct. 21, 1963, Ser. No. 317,580 Claims. (Cl. 73425.2)

This invention relates to a balance chamber for deep sea coring towers,and has particular application to the type or coring tower disclosed inmy co-pending application on Deep Sea Coring Tower, filed of even dateherewith.

An object of my invention is to provide a balance chamber which isconnected to a core barrel, and which has a lesser pressure within thebalance chamber than is exerted at the lower end of the core barrelwhich has penetrated the floor of the sea or ocean and is under thehydraulic pressure of the sea or ocean.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel balance chamber ofthe character stated, in which the chamber is under a relatively lowpressure and which can be suddenly opened to the core barrel, so that apressure imbalance is created to cause a sudden movement of materialinto the core barrel from the floor of the sea or ocean into which thecore barrel has penetrated.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel balance chamber ofthe character stated, in which the pipe connection between the balancechamber and the core barrel includes a quick acting valve which can betripped for the purpose of connecting the balance chamber and the corebarrel to permit flow between these parts.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention may appear from theaccompanying drawing, the subjo-ined detailed description and theappended claims.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of my balance chamber mountedone core barrel.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of my balancechamber mounted on a core barrel.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the balance chamber as viewed from line33 of FIGURE 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, in a deep sea drilling rig,of the type disclosed in my co-pending application on Deep Sea CoringTower filed of even date herewith, a tubular core barrel 1 is caused tobe driven into the ocean floor for the purpose of recovering a sample.This coring operation occurs at substantial depths below the surface ofthe sea or ocean, for example, several hundred feet, and as aconsequence of this depth below the surface of the ocean a hydraulicpressure is maintained, this pressure being in the nature of severalhundred pounds per square inch. In order that the core barrel 1 mayrecover a substantial quantity of the formation at the bottom of thesea, each time that it is withdrawn from its drilling position it isdesirable that the pressure within the core barrel may be suddenlylowered, thereby causing the external hydraulic pressure to force aquantity of material into the bottom of the core barrel, and thenceupwardly in the barrel to a considerable height. The material recoveredin the core barrel may be sand, dirt, gravel, shells, etc., dependingupon the character of the ocean bottom.

To achieve this sudden reduction in pressure in the core barrel 1, Iprovide a balance chamber 2. This balance chamber is about twenty orthirty feet in length and from six to eight inches in diameter, and isnormally closed at its upper end 3. The balance chamber 2 is attached tothe upper end of the core barrel 1 by means of a rod 4, the rod beingthreaded into the bottom of the chamber 2 at its upper end and threadedinto a coupling 5 at its lower end. The coupling 5 is threaded on to theupper end of the core barrel 1, thus securing the parts rigidly togetherand in longitudinal alignment. A pipe 6 connects the core barrel 1 andthe balance chamber 2, in that the upper end of the pipe screws throughthe wall of the balance chamber 2 and into that chamber, as shown inFIGURE 2. The rod 4 is counterbored, as shown at 7, at its lower end andthe pipe 6 screws into this counterbore, thereby connecting the pipe tothe upper end of the core barrel 1, as shown in FIGURE 2. A check valve8, of usual and well known construction, is mounted in the pipe 6, andthis check valve permits upward flow through the pipe into the balancechamber 2, but prohibits downward flow as of the balance chamber 2. Anorifice 9 is also provided in the pipe 6 below the check valve 8, andthis orifice restrains free flow of fluid through the pipe 6 so thatflow will occur continuously over a longer period of time, and thusgradually reducing the pressure in the upper end of the core barrel 1;this gradual pressure reduction preventing collapse of the core barreland also permitting material to flow into the bottom of the core barrelat a gradual rate rather than suddenly. An off-on valve 10 is providedin the pipe 6, and when this valve is open or on the balance chamber 2will be connected with the core barrel 1 to permit flow between theseparts. The valve 10 is actuated by an arm 11 thereon and this arm ismoved by a rope or cable 12 attached to the outer end thereof. The ropeor cable 12 is either tied to a fixed part of the drilling rig, or itmay extend to the surface so that the operator may manually pull on thecable 12 to open the valve 10, or the valve may be automatically openedwhen the core barrel 1 and the balance chamber 2 had moved downwardly apredetermined distance, due to the drilling action of the core barrel 1.

In operation When the core barrel and the attached balance chamber islowered into the ocean, and to a considerable depth, the balance chamber2 will be at a lower pressure than the core barrel 1 (for example, oneatmosphere) due to the fact that the valve 10 is closed and also thecheck valve 8 prevents flow out of the balance chamber 2. The top 3 ofthe balance chamber is closed or sealed, thus the reduced pressure inthe balance chamber will be maintained even though the hydraulicpressure at the depth at which the core barrel operates might be severalhundred pounds. After the core barrel 1 has been moved downwardly intothe ocean floor a required distance, the valve 10 will be opened ortripped by the cable 12 on its arm 11. The upper end of the core barrel1 will now have the pressure therein gradually reduced until thepressures in the core barrel and the balance chamber 2 equalize. Thisequalization of pressure will cause material from the ocean floor to bepushed upwardly into the core barrel 1 to a considerable height; thus asubstantial core can be recovered from the ocean floor.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A deep sea coring barrel comprising:

a hollow cylindrical balance chamber and a core barrel positioned inaxial alignment,

a rod fixedly attached to both the balance chamber and the core barreland extending between the balance chamber and the core barrel,

a pipe extending into the balance chamber at one end and into the corebarrel at the other end,

a manually operable valve in said pipe positioned between the balancechamber and the core barrel,

and a cable extending to the valve to open said valve.

2. A deep sea coring barrel comprising;

a hollow cylindrical balance chamber and a core barrel positioned inaxial alignment,

a pipe extending into the balance chamber at one end and into the corebarrel at the other end,

a manually operable valve in said pipe positioned between the balancechamber and the core barrel,

a cable extending to the valve to open said valve,

and a check valve positioned in said pipe.

3. A deep sea coring barrel comprising:

a hollow cylindrical balance chamber and a core barrel positioned inaxial alignment,

a pipe extending into the balance chamber at one end and into the corebarrel at the other end,

a manually operable valve in said pipe positioned between the balancechamber and the core barrel,

a cable extending to the valve to open said valve,

a check valve positioned in said pipe,

and an orifice fitting in said pipe.

4. A deep sea coring barrel comprising;

a hollow cylindrical balance chamber and a core barrel positioned inaxial alignment,

a rod fixedly attached to both the balance chamber and the core barreland extending between the bal ance chamber and the core barrel,

a pipe extending into the balance chamber at one end and into the corebarrel at the other end,

a manually operable valve in said pipe positioned between the balancechamber and the core barrel,

a cable extending to the valve to open said valve,

and a check valve positioned in said pipe.

5. A deep sea coring barrel comprising;

a hollow cylindrical balance chamber and a core barrel positioned inaxial alignment,

a rod fixedly attached to both the balance chamber and the core barreland extending between the balance chamber and the core barrel,

a pipe extending into the balance chamber at one end and into the corebarrel at the other end,

a manually operable valve in said pipe positioned between the balancechamber and the core barrel,

a cable extending to the valve to open said valve,

a check valve positioned in said pipe,

and an orifice fitting in said pipe.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,511,223 10/1924'Chapelle 73--425.4 2,545,900 3/1951 Squires 73425.6 X 2,798,378 7/1957Del Raso et a1 73421 X 3,113,598 12/1963 Esteve et a1 73--425.6 X3,162,195 12/1964 Dick.

25 RICHARD C. QUEISSER, Primary Examiner.

DAVID SCHONBERG, Examiner.

J. W. MYRACLE, Assistant Examiner.

1. A DEEP SEA CORING BARREL COMPRISING: A HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL BALANCECHAMBER AND A CORE BARREL POSITIONED IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT, A ROD FIXEDLYATTACHED TO BOTH THE BALANCE CHAMBER AND THE CORE BARREL AND EXTENDINGBETWEEN THE BALANCE CHAMBER AND THE CORE BARREL, A PIPE EXTENDING INTOTHE BALANCE CHAMBER AT ONE END AND INTO THE CORE BARREL AT THE OTHEREND, A MANUALLY OPERABLE VALUE IN SAID PIPE POSITIONED BETWEEN THEBALANCE CHAMBER AND THE CORE BARREL, AND A CABLE EXTENDING TO THE VALVETO OPEN SAID VALVE.